More about: Royal Palace of Madrid Tickets and Tours
Located in the Plaza de Oriente, the Royal Palace is a building steeped in history and houses works of art and valuable objects in its sumptuous rooms that are well worth a visit.
Buying tickets online in advance allows you to plan your visit for a specific date and time without running the risk of running out and, of course, saves you queuing for several hours in the sun.
Madrid Royal Palace Guided Tour
Tour the Royal Palace with an expert guide
If you want to discover the interior of the Royal Palace and learn about its rooms, secrets and legends, join this guided tour with a professional guide.
Once you book this tour you will meet your guide on your chosen day in the Plaza de Isabel II (near the Ópera de Madrid) so that before entering the Palace you can walk around the outside while hearing from an expert about the history of the building and those who lived in it. The tour costs 28 euros and lasts an hour and a half, but if you want to continue exploring the Royal Palace after the guide finishes his tour there is no problem.
When choosing the day of the visit, if you want to avoid crowds, bear in mind that from Monday to Thursday from 5pm to 7pm the entrance is free and therefore there will be more people visiting the palace (although you won't wait in line); therefore, a Friday or Saturday afternoon, depending on the season, may be a better option.
Inside the Palace you will see the official rooms, the royal armour, the Throne Room and Goya's paintings, among other rooms.
Why I like this option: in a place so full of historical context and symbolism, the help of an expert guide will be essential to get the most out of the visit.
Madrid Combo: Prado Museum and Royal Palace Guided Tour
A tour of the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum
The Prado Museum and the Royal Palace are two must-sees on any trip to Madrid. With this combo you can enjoy both places with an expert guide.
This double guided tour begins with an hour and a half tour inside the Prado Museum, where the guide will take you to see the essential works of the museum and explain what you should know about each of them. After visiting the most relevant works of renowned artists such as Goya or Murillo, you will stroll through the centre until you reach the Royal Palace.
There you will enter the interior with the guide and go through the main rooms of the Palace, where you will also learn a little about the history of the Spanish royal family and the use of each of the main rooms of the Palace.
In both the Prado and the Royal Palace tickets are included and will allow you to skip the entrance queues, which makes the visit much more dynamic and lighter.
Why I like this option: this is the most practical and comfortable way to visit two of the main points of interest in Madrid. An expert guide will make sure you don't miss any details and get the most out of both places.
Buy tickets for the Royal Palace at the ticket office
The ticket office is open during the opening hours of the palace: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00 and on Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 16:00 (the last access is always one hour before closing time). The problem with buying tickets at the ticket office is that you can expect long queues and, once you get to the ticket office, tickets may be sold out for that day. You can save between 3 and 5 euros compared to online pre-sale.
What to see at the Royal Palace
Throne Room
This is the room that generates the most curiosity in any palace and, specifically in the Royal Palace of Madrid, it does not disappoint. The throne room is lavishly decorated in red and gold and is one of the few rooms that has been preserved with practically the same decoration it had during the reign of Charles III.
Royal Armoury
The collection of arms and military objects contained in the Royal Palace of Madrid is one of the most prestigious in Europe. Most of the weapons you will see in the armoury rooms are gala weapons and you will also find diplomatic gifts and trophies that have added to the collection since the time of Philip II.
Hall of Columns
This spacious room is one of the brightest in the palace and was originally used as a ballroom. In addition to its vaulted ceiling and luxurious crystal chandeliers, don't miss the fresco that can be seen from the entrance, which depicts different deities that, if you take a guided tour, will be explained to you during your visit.
Gasparini Hall
This is the room where private audiences took place and it is unlike any other room in the palace. Its decoration is baroque and ornate and gives the impression of not leaving any free space on the floor or walls. It is well worth taking a closer look at the details and paintings you will find here, so don't be in a hurry.
Gala dining room
It is hard to imagine a table like the gala dining room full of delicacies and important dignitaries, but even today it is still used sporadically for state dinners. This room in particular will give you the feeling of being in a period film.
Royal Chapel
Within the luxury for which the palace is known, the Royal Chapel is a relatively simple chapel designed by Sacchetti in the 18th century. This is an ideal stop for a guided tour to talk about the importance of religion in the Spanish monarchy and the relationship of music to the whole structure.
Halberdiers' Hall
Although it was originally conceived as a hall for parties, Charles III used this room as a guard room. Although decorated in a simple manner, the paintings in this room, including one painted in 2014 by Antonio López of the family of Juan Carlos I, should not be overlooked.
Royal Kitchen
For access to the Royal Kitchen you will have to pay a small supplement along with the Palace entrance fee. It is located in the basement of the building and you can see how different advances have been incorporated over the years. The layout and fittings are designed to make it as comfortable as possible for the dozens of workers who spent the day there.
Ana's Traveller Tip
Access to the gardens surrounding the palace is free and you can see them either on the day of your visit to the palace or on any other day.
Plan your visit to the Royal Palace
Free admission
Some monuments and museums in Madrid have a time of day when it is free to visit them. The Royal Palace is free from Monday to Thursday from 5pm to 7pm. However, if you are going to take advantage of this time slot, plan ahead because the queues are quite long and when you get to the entrance you may barely have time to walk around the palace.
The unemployed, children under the age of five, active teaching staff, members of large families and the disabled are admitted free at all times on presentation of the corresponding accreditation.
Changing of the Guard
If you want to see the Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace you will have the opportunity to do so free of charge. Every Wednesday and Saturday from 11:00 to 14:00 the changing of the guard takes place at the Puerta del Príncipe, where the Royal Guards on foot coincide with the sentries on horseback.
Sabatini and Campo del Moro Gardens
The Palace has two gardens nearby, both of which are free and well worth a stroll. The former are located to one side of the palace and are accessed by stairs, the latter are larger and are at the back. Don't miss them (preferably early in the morning to avoid the heat) even if you don't visit the palace.
Where to eat
If you want to eat before or after visiting the Palace, just walk past Plaza de Oriente to Plaza de España where the Gran Vía begins and you will have plenty of options. You can also have a picnic in the gardens behind the Madrid Opera House.
The Royal Palace with children
If you are travelling with children, a visit to the Royal Palace is a good idea. The decoration of the halls, the armour and other elements will attract the attention of the little ones. What I recommend is that, if you don't go on a guided tour, you should do some research before you go so that you can explain some of the rooms you are seeing in their own language.
Ana's Traveller Tip
If you visit Madrid in summer and want to buy your tickets at the ticket office, be aware that the queue is several metres long and there are long stretches in the sun.
If you are interested in visiting the Royal Palace of Madrid, you will also like
All the stories of Kings and Queens that the Royal Palace holds are also captured in the paintings of the Prado Museum. Many of the works of art in Spain's most important museum were commissioned by members of royalty or directly portray episodes from their lives.
If you want to learn more about the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties, don't rule out a guided tour of the Prado Museum, which you can find out more about by reading this article: Prado Museum in Madrid Tickets and Tours.
If, on the other hand, you feel like enjoying more Spanish folklore, you can always attend a flamenco show. There are several 'tablaos' in Madrid with performances almost every day, but I'll tell you all about them in this article so you can make sure you attend a quality show: Flamenco shows in Madrid.